and Halton Teaching Hospitals

Engagement and FAQs

Hospital Outpatient Services at Shopping City and Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals are creating a new Health Hub at nearby Runcorn Shopping City. From this hub the Trust is planning to offer Ophthalmology, Audiology, and Dietetics outpatient appointments.

Offering these services in a retail environment will make it easier for patients to access these services, some of which will be expanded to offer a greater range of tests. Halton residents will no longer have to travel out of Borough to receive care.

As well as being more convenient for patients, the proposed move reduces the risk of having to enter a hospital environment during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is especially important for patients of BAME origin, the vulnerable and those with long term conditions.

Audiology and Ophthalmology are moving just 300 meters from Halton Hospital’s outpatients department to Shopping City, while Dietetics is moving from St Paul’s Health Centre - a distance of 3.5km served by public transport. Current staff will relocate with their services and there will be no change to staffing levels.

The vacated space at Halton Hospital will be reallocated to clinically appropriate services – either those Your Views: that require additional space or those that are relocating from Warrington. This is in line with the Trust’s plan of Hospital Outpatient Services expanding and further developing Halton as its dedicated elective site – much of which is already underway as at Runcorn Shopping City a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

No estate will be lost or decommissioned at Halton Hospital. Services that are proposed to be delivered Proposed service relocation – FAQs from the new location

1 What are you asking people to consider as part of this engagement and consultation? Services What We Provide We are asking local people to provide their views on a proposal to provide • Ophthalmology’s proposed initial plan is to move services a small number of hospital outpatient appointments/services from the currently being delivered at Halton Hospital to Runcorn Health Hub at Runcorn Shopping City. Shopping City. This includes Paediatric Orthoptic and Optometry clinics and Paediatric Visual Processing clinics. Which services will be provided from the Health Hub? • This plan also includes replicating some services that are 2 currently delivered only at Warrington Hospital at Runcorn Ophthalmology, Audiology and Dietetics Shopping City. These include: Glaucoma assessment clinics, cataract pre-and post-operative clinics, ophthalmic primary Ophthalmology care clinics (new patients only) and neuro-ophthalmology clinics. 3 How far will services be moving? • There are also plans to introduce a new Hydroxychloroquine The distance between Halton Hospital and Runcorn Shopping City is screening service not currently provided by the Trust at around 300 metres from the rear of the hospital to the entrance to Runcorn Shopping City. This new service is currently being Runcorn Shopping City. developed in order to screen rheumatology patients to ensure their suitability for hydroxychloroquine treatment, Some Dietetics services are planned to move from St Paul’s Health Centre and to routinely monitor those patients currently on the to Runcorn Shopping City, which is a distance of around 3.5km and is treatment for any visual complications. served by public transport.

• Audiology plans an expansion of current services that are 4 Why are you proposing to run NHS services within a currently offered (and would continue to be offered) at non-NHS setting? Halton Hospital. This will allow more patients to be seen each week. The planned services for potential provision Audiology within Shopping City include assessment, fitting and repair The aim of this move is to support and increase access to some diagnostic of hearing aids. This will help to reduce waits for these and outpatient services in a more convenient location for our patients. appointments and enabling provision in a potentially more There is a planned and strategic direction for the NHS, as set out in NHS convenient location. Long Term Plan and reflected within the One Halton Health and Wellbeing Strategy, of improving access and delivering services within the community. In addition we believe there will be a number of benefits from providing services from Runcorn Shopping City, including: • Dietetics’ initial proposed plan is to consolidate clinics that are currently held at both Halton General Hospital and St • Expanded and easier access for patients and their families to these Paul’s Health Centre and deliver these instead at Runcorn services Dietetics Shopping City. This includes two general paediatric clinics and five general adult clinics per week. This consolidation • Expansion and/or relocation of these services to be delivered in a non- will provide a consistent and more accessible base for this hospital setting limits the risk of hospital-acquired infection, critical in service. the Covid-era • Encourages footfall to town centre spaces, promoting local business 5 Will delivering services from Runcorn Shopping City stop services being delivered from other locations?

In the case of Dietetics and Ophthalmology, it is proposed that the Health Hub at Runcorn Shopping City becomes the sole location to access services within Runcorn. For Ophthalmology this will allow us to expand the services currently delivered in Runcorn, duplicating some services that patients currently have to travel to Warrington Hospital to access. For Audiology, this will be an expansion of the current hearing aid assessment service. The current level of provision will continue to be delivered from Halton Hospital.

6 Is this move due to privatisation of some form? No. The NHS, and NHS staff, will continue to run and manage these services. It is just a proposed change in location. Project funding for the creation of an appropriate clinical space at Runcorn Shopping City has been secured through City Region’s Town Centres Fund. 11 Will local people and staff be involved in the design of any new facility? 7 Will different staff be providing these services? Staff have already been involved with the development of this concept No. The provision of services will be carried out by the same staff and no and will continue to input into the design and operation of any new staff numbers will be reduced as part of these changes. It is just a change facility. This is the public’s opportunity to give their views on the delivery of location. of health services from Runcorn Shopping City. All feedback will, where appropriate, be considered in how to operate the services if they proceed as planned. 8 Will the frequency of services and clinics be reduced? No. The frequency of services and clinics will not be impacted by these How can I get Involved? changes. It is just a change of location. 12 A paper and online questionnaire (https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ SFPPR8V) has been produced which will provide members of the public 9 Would transport be provided to Runcorn with an opportunity to learn more and provide feedback on the changes, Shopping City? ask questions and make suggestions of their own. Alternative formats are available on request. Existing public transport links and free parking are already provided at Runcorn Shopping City. Virtual presentations (times to be announced) will be delivered by each of the three services on their plans, with a Q&A session for the public. Live Will it be more costly to deliver services from Runcorn engagement exercises (within social distancing and safety measures) will 10 be conducted at Runcorn Shopping City. Additional engagement will be Shopping City? undertaken at the respective clinics with current patients.

A key consideration in the movement of services will be to ensure value for The views and opinions collected will then be used to shape the plans money for the NHS and patients / users of all services involved. going forward. Phase 1 - Q4 - Do you support the relocation to or provision of additional hospital services at the Health Hub at Runcorn Shopping City? Engagement and Involvement Questions Yes No Somewhat I don’t know

Your Views: Hospital Outpatient Services at Runcorn Q5 - If I needed Ophthalmology (eye assessment and treatment) services I would Shopping City prefer to go to: a. Current location at the hospital You can also take part in our survey online at https://www.surveymonkey. co.uk/r/SFPPR8V b. Runcorn Shopping City Health Hub c. Any of these We welcome your views on the proposed delivery of these services from the Health Hub at Runcorn Shopping City. d. None of these (please explain…)

Other formats - If you have any concerns or questions about the survey, require the questionnaire in another language or format, including large print, Braille, audio or British Sign Language, or simply require assistance in Q6 - If I needed Audiology (ear / hearing assessment and treatment) services I would completing the form please email [email protected] prefer to go to:

a. Current location at the hospital Q1 - Have you used any of the following services provided by the Trust: b. Runcorn Shopping City Health Hub c. Any of these a. Audiology (if yes state location) d. None of these (please explain…) b. Ophthalmology (if yes state location) c. Dietetics (if yes state location)

Q2 - Have you been made aware of the proposal to relocate/expand some services Q7 - If I required Dietetics services I would prefer to go to: to the Health Hub at Runcorn Shopping City? a. Current location at the hospital Yes No I don’t know b. Runcorn Shopping City Health Hub c. Any of these Q3 - Do you feel that you have been given enough information to form an opinion on our proposals? d. None of these (please explain…)

Yes No I don’t know If no, what else would you like to know? Q8 - If we were to relocate any or all of these services to Runcorn Shopping City Health Hub please could you tell us how this would affect you or your family/loved ones TEAR HERE TEAR HERE Q9 - Is there anything else you would like us to consider? Q5 - What is your religion or belief?

Christianity Hinduism Judaism Buddhism Sikhism Prefer not to say Other (please specify)

Q6 - What is your sexual orientation Q10 - Do you have any reasonable adjustments that you would like us to make if we were to relocate to Runcorn Shopping City Health Hub? Heterosexual (people of the opposite sex) Gay (both men) Lesbian (both female) Bisexual (people of either sex) Prefer not to say Other (please specify)

Q7 - What is your relationship status? About You Single, Never Married Married Separated Divorced Widowed The following section is about you and will enable us to ensure we have engaged a wide range of people. You do not have to complete the following Civil Partnership Prefer not to say Other (please specify) section and this information will only be used to theme the responses.

Q8 - We need to know we’ve spoken to women who are pregnant or have recently Q1 - Are you completing the survey as an individual or Third Sector organisation? given birth. Please tick below if you:

Individual Third Sector Organisation are pregnant at this time have recently given birth? (within 26 weeks)

Q2 - What is your ethnicity? Q9 - Do you consider yourself to have a disability (The Equality Act 2010 states a person has a disability if they have a physical or mental impairment which is long White British Caribbean European Irish African term (12 month period or longer) or has substantial adverse effects on their ability to carry out day to day activities)? Indian Chinese Pakistani Bangladeshi Yes No Please state if yes Any other Asian background Any other Ethnic Group

I do not wish to disclose my ethnic origin Q10 - Carers play a crucial role in health and social care. We need to know we’ve gathered the views of carers. Please tell us if you care for someone and how old they are. Q3 - What is your gender I am not a carer for anyone Male Female Other Prefer not to say I care for a young person/s aged younger than 24 years of age I care for an adult/s aged 25 to 49 years of age Q4 - Do you identify as the same gender you were assigned at birth? I care for an older person/s aged 50 years of age or older

Yes No Prefer not to say Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey. TEAR HERE TEAR HERE Contact us: Communications and Engagement Team Kendrick Wing Warrington and Halton Hospitals Lovely Lane, WA5 1QG

01925 664222 [email protected] www.whh.nhs.uk

If you would like to receive this document in another format, please do not hesitate to contact us.

For review April 2023